Seattle tragedy raises questions about crane incidents

Seattle is one of the nation’s leaders in the number of construction cranes in operation. The collapse that killed two workers and two people in a car on Saturday raises questions about the safety of cranes and how often such incidents happen. Research on the causes of crane-related deaths is somewhat uncommon, with the most recent studies appearing to have come in 2009 and 2015. KREM (Spokane) [with video]

 

Wind turbine manufacturer settles citations with IOSH

A Newton, Iowa manufacturer of wind turbine blades has settled with Iowa OSHA after being fined more than $150,000 for multiple workplace safety violations related to fire hazards, airborne contaminants, recordkeeping, fall hazards and a lack of adequate protective gear for workers. The agency launched its five-month inquiry after a Des Moines Register investigation found hundreds of cases of skin injuries at the plant due to exposure to epoxy resin. The company, TPI Composites, says it already has corrected many of the issues. Des Moines Register

 

Tree services worker electrocuted at Hudson Valley home

A 56-year-old man, who was trimming a tree for a homeowner on Sunday afternoon in Cortlandt, New York, died after falling from the tree and contacting electrical wires. Fed-OSHA reportedly is investigating. Rockland/Westchester Journal News/lohud

 

Safety stand-downs in landscaping industry

Fed-OSHA, along with partners in several southern states, this week sponsored “safety stand-down” events targeted to the landscaping industry. The training focuses on common hazards, such as falls, struck-by hazards, noise, electrical hazards, heat exposure and lawnmower turnovers. WVTM (Birmingham, Ala.)

 

Lumber association meets with Fed-OSHA to clarify crane rule

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association met with Fed-OSHA’s Directorate of Construction to raise concerns about a 2016 Letter of Interpretation that addresses an aspect of the material delivery exemption to the agency’s crane rule. The letter, which was issued in 2016 in response to a question posed by an equipment manufacturer in 2010, has created confusion for dealers and contractors alike regarding the final stage of the delivery process when material is boomed up to the upper level of a structure under construction. LBM Journal

 

TOSHA honors environmental catalyst manufacturer

Tennessee OSHA has honored Cormetech Inc., an environmental catalyst manufacturer, in Cleveland, Tennessee with the Governor’s Award of Excellence for Workplace Safety and Health. The company reportedly recorded nearly 513,000 hours without a lost-time or restricted duty workplace injury or illness. Cleveland Daily Banner

 

Instagram account mocks ridiculous safety violations

An instagram account with more than half a million followers is a curated feed of flagrant violators of Fed-OSHA’s most basic workplace guidelines. New York Post